Stories

Stories

In the beginning, Calvert Hospital was a vision in the minds of some determined men
who had moustaches and wore hats. Three brothers, Drs. Elliott, Amos and Clarence
Hutchins and their brother-in-law, Dr. Issac N. King, would leave a legacy of leadership
that would shape the future of health care for generations to come.

According to historical accounts, they secured pledges and a loan for the tiny, two-story frame
hospital, which cost $18,000 to build and equip. The land was donated by John B. Gray. Supplies
were scarce but their passion for caring was plentiful. Rooms were $2 a day and patients who could
not afford to pay were treated for free. The only registered nurse was on 24-hour duty. The cook took
charge if she left the building. Elliott and Clarence, both over 230 pounds apiece and six feet four inches,
used to carry the patients up the back stairs.

The need for the hospital was clear when the local newspapers reported two operations were
performed in the wake of the dedication on May 26, 1919, with six more the next day. The unity and grit
of those early founders and the men and women who came after would be tested by the lean years of
the Great Depression and the war times that followed, when 20,000 were stationed on the naval base in
Solomons in 1944. Dr. Page Jett told an interviewer in 1987, “We never took our clothes off. We would
just undo them and go to bed.”

Two nurses, fresh out of training, who emerged as pivotal figures in health care during this time,
were the county’s first public health nurse, Myrtle Patten, and Helen Marsellas, who served as the
hospital’s chief nurse for 11 years before being named administrator in 1956. Testimonials reveal their
tireless dedication and unwavering service were unmatched.

Patten, who arrived in Calvert in 1927, could be described as nurse, midwife, dental assistant,
emergency medical technician and counselor. She visited the homes of African American families, did well-baby checks, vaccinated preschoolers
and inoculated farmers and laborers
for small pox and tuberculosis. When
she retired, her position ended. No
one ever took her place, according to
“Inspiring African American Women of
Calvert County,” by the Calvert County
Public Library.

With so few doctors, Marsellas,
who started in 1942, did everything from
dressings to delivering babies to pulling the
rope for the dumbwaiter to bring meals up
from the basement. “I loved nursing,” she
said. “I loved every bit of it. We worked until
things were finished. It might be midnight.”
She played a key role because of her
versatility, according to former state Senator
Bernie Fowler, Sr., who worked with her
from 1956-1967. “She was very capable and
concerned about her patients. I don’t think
anyone could exceed the attention she gave.
She did it because it was her life and she
loved doing it.”

Fowler said the nurses were often called
on to handle emergencies until the doctor oncall
could arrive. “I remember one time there
was a boat explosion in Solomons and we got
11 patients and the ER had three beds,” said
Sally Showalter, who was a nurse at the
hospital from 1974-1984. “You managed and
everybody worked together as a team and
stayed until the job was done.”

Showalter said it wasn’t unusual
for her to be the only nurse on duty
on some evening shifts. “The nursing
assistants were our eyes and ears,” she
said. “They bathed and fed the patients,
answered their call lights, and kept us
up to date when we could not be in their
room. When they expressed a concern, I
listened. I knew they had the experience
and knowledge to know when something
wasn’t right and I trusted their judgment.”

County’s Growth Spurs Expansion

From those humble beginnings, Calvert Health Medical Center has
transformed into Southern Maryland’s premier healthcare provider. Today,
the health system includes the medical center, an employed physician
network, imaging, home health services and urgent care facilities
throughout the county; and is the county’s largest private employer with
more than 1,200 employees.

In the 1920s, Calvert was unusually rural and poor. Transportation was a problem
with most dirt roads impassable. There was one bus that traveled from Solomons to
Baltimore and mail was delivered on horseback. In 1926, wings were added to each
side of the original hospital structure. A new chapter began in 1948, when the board
began planning for a new building. The following year, 65 acres were purchased and a
new, “modern” 29-bed facility opened in 1953. Eleven years later, it was at 97 percent
capacity and the board was looking for ways to finance the three-story, 111-bed
hospital that would break ground in 1976.

A turning point came in 1975, with the opening of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear
Power Plant, replacing tobacco as the economic engine of the county and ushering
in a population boom that continued for several decades. “BG&E changed a lot down
here,” said former county commissioner Mary Krug, who served on the hospital’s
board of directors for 22 years. “All of a sudden, the county could pave its rural roads,
improve the schools and widen Route 4.”

Former Calvert Memorial Hospital President and CEO Jim Xinis said, “The
county’s rapid population growth had a dramatic impact on the hospital. For a number
of years, Calvert was the fastest growing jurisdiction in the state by percentage and
we were very aggressive in meeting that demand. It seemed like we were breaking
ground on something every six months.”

The wave of construction included
additional locations in Dunkirk, Solomons
and Twin Beaches; three on-campus
medical office buildings and new
surgery, family birth and wellness
centers that were followed by a muchexpanded
emergency department, a
critical care unit and a concourse
devoted to outpatient services.

Board’s Strength Lies in Diversity

“The volunteers on the hospital board represent the community’s health interests
to CalvertHealth’s leadership,” said longtime board member Cliff Stewart.
“They serve as a direct connection between the hospital and the community.”

“When people know you’re on the board,” said
Stewart, “they tell you what they like and don’t
like about what’s going on at the hospital. We bring
the voice and perspective of the people.” He said
feedback from the community was a significant factor
in the decision to convert to private patient rooms.

For this reason, diversity is essential – to speak
for the entire community. “It comes down to having
diversity of board members that have different
relationships within the community,” said Showalter,
who is a third-generation board member. Her father,
Arthur Dowell, Jr., and her grandfather, Arthur
Dowell, Sr., also served.

Despite diverging viewpoints and experiences
there was always a common purpose. “Even though
board members came from varied backgrounds they
had an open mind and respected all the different
facets of where the people were coming from,” said
former board chair Vic Cornellier, who owns a
building design company. Former educator Rev.
Robert Conway concurred. “What impressed me
most was how they made a conscientious effort to
respect the opinions of everybody,” he said.

And there were certainly challenges and
changes from grappling with desegregation in the
60s and physician shortages in the 70s to dealing
with the advent of managed care and its impact on
the delivery of care and coping with the uncertainty
of Maryland’s rate-setting system. They were steady
stewards that navigated the hospital with a strong
hand steering an independent course for the hospital
amidst a landscape of more and more mergers.

They served because they cared. They served because they were grateful. But mostly,
they served because they wanted to give back and make a difference. “I was very interested in
health care for the under-served portion of our population. I always have been,” said banker and
former board chair Don Parsons, who grew up in inner-city Boston in the projects.

Often it meant long hours but they persevered. “Many times, when I got home it was
nearly midnight and my wife had already gone to bed,” said Conway. “We just stayed until we
finished what we had to do.” Krug underscored the group’s diligence to duty. “The board took
professionalism and their role very seriously,” she said. “It’s not a position you take lightly. It
meant a lot of long hours but it was worth it.”

Physicians Advance Hospital's Progress

“Collectively, our current medical staff has 3,125 years of combined service to
CalvertHealth – that’s a lot to be proud of,” said Teague. “I believe this longevity
of service is one of the things that make our medical community so strong.”

This tradition of dedicated service dates back to the early 1900s in Calvert when four
physicians covered the entire county for decades. Dr. Roberto De Villarreal practiced for 30
years in St. Leonard, accepting whatever payment his patients could give before his career was
tragically cut short in a fatal car accident. Dr. Hugh Ward of Dunkirk helped deliver some 5,000
babies and was instrumental in developing the medical center in Owings.

Dr. George Weems, who served in the Army Medical Unit during WWII, started his practice
in Huntingtown in 1938 and continued to make house calls until he retired in the early 1990s.
Dr. Page Jett of Prince Frederick had a deep concern for indigent patients and worked hard for
state legislation that would later be a model for the national Medicaid program.

“It was a lot different when I came in 1961,” said Dr. Issam (Sam) Damalouji. “I trained as
a surgeon but started a family practice to support myself. Back then it was 24/7 for us. I took care
of headaches, heart attacks and hemorrhoids and at the end of the night delivered babies.”
“I was busy from the get-go,” said Dr. Damalouji, who very quickly became chief of staff, a
position he held for 36 years, and helped write the first set of medical bylaws. “I charged $5 for
an office visit but that included medicine because we didn’t have a pharmacy.”

Dr. Damalouji said it was his policy to welcome qualified physicians. This approach saw
the introduction of the county’s first specialists in the 1970s in cardiology, internal medicine,
obstetrics, pediatrics and radiology – many of them foreign-born. “I worked very hard with the
other physicians to get the first accreditation of the hospital.”

One of these early physicians was general surgeon Dr. Emad Al-Banna, who joined CMH
in 1971 and served as chief of staff from 2006-2010. “The county was very small. You called
everyone by their first name,” he said. “The highway stopped at the bowling alley and there was
no bridge in Solomons. Everyone did his or her share to bring the hospital to where it is now.”
This was followed by a large influx of university-trained physicians who came in the 1980s.
“We had a new level of expertise and a new level of care,”said cardiologist Dr. Mark Kushner, who was actively involved
in the hospital’s intensive
care unit, serving as
medical director for years.
Marked improvements in
patient care and safety
were seen throughout the
hospital.

Xinis largely credits
the medical staff with
driving change and
advancing patient care at
the hospital – from more
sophisticated technology
to the use of clot-busting
drugs to abort a heart
attack to the newer, less
invasive laparoscopic
surgical techniques. “We
couldn’t have responded to
the growth and delivered
the quality of services we
have without top-notch
doctors.”

Like many of his
colleagues, internist
Dr. John Weigel served
his entire career locally
before retiring last year
after nearly 36 years.
“I believe the medical
expertise available at
Calvert is as good as it is
anywhere.” He added, “I
was very comfortable
having my own family
being taken care
of at Calvert. That’s about
the highest compliment
you can get.”

Volunteers Represent a Vital Force

“It gives me a lot of satisfaction to know that I’m doing
something that is helping somebody else,” said retired
pediatric nurse Janet Allyn, who has given over 9,000
hours in her 27 years of volunteer service.

The hospital auxiliary can trace its roots back to 1922. In
the early days, the volunteers earned money for coal to keep the
hospital warm, would sew sheets and do the laundry. For 96 years,
their commitment has remained constant and steady. Whatever
was needed – they did it.

They have raised funds, staffed the gift shop, manned the
information desk, delivered newspapers, greeted visitors, operated
a thrift shop and worked side-by-side with our employees,
providing helpful services to our patients, families and visitors.
Since 2007, they’ve donated $782,000 and in 2017, gave their
largest one-year gift of $105,000. They were also the single largest
contributor to the 2004-2008 Capital Campaign.

In 2016, they became CalvertHealth Volunteer Services – a
change that reflects their expanded role. Today, they serve in more
than 70 different areas on campus and off. In the last 10 years,
they’ve volunteered 228,000 hours representing a huge savings to
the organization. That savings is a major asset for CalvertHealth
because it means those funds can be used to enhance other
services and programs.

“To us their value is beyond measure,” said Teague. “For 96 years,
they have been a vital and vibrant addition to the CalvertHealth
family. We are more grateful than they can possibly imagine.”

Donors Help Fulfill the Mission

The people of the county were so eager to support the first
hospital; they made more than $2,000 in pledges at the 1919
dedication. Neighbors with ice houses gave ice. Farmers
donated fruits and vegetables.

In the 1950s, area homemakers raised funds for an automatic washer
and dryer, as well as a freezer, for the one-story brick building. The hospital’s
history is filled with stories of those who have stepped forward to make
meaningful gifts. “The hospital has always enjoyed strong community
support,” said Xinis, who formed the hospital’s foundation in 1989.

The Donovan family of Chesapeake Beach is just one example. “For as
long as I can remember,” said Gerald W. Donovan, “CalvertHealth has a
history of improving health care for our community. My father (Frederick
J. Donovan) served on the board. My sister, Joanie Kilmon, followed
in his footsteps and served on the committee, which began focusing on
wellness as an integral part of health care.

“Donations after the death of my grandfather, Wesley Stinnett, were
the foundation for the scholarship fund that continues today,” he added.
“Our hospital has been there for all of us – you, me, our friends and our
families. We are proud to do our part.”

Their generosity is mirrored by thousands more from the medical
staff, board members, the auxiliary, employees, businesses, corporate
vendors and caring individuals from the community. “I tell people
whatever you do will make an impact,” said Foundation board member
Maria Lubrano. “In a small way, we are all part of what is being
accomplished.”

The Role of a Community Hospital

“What’s most important for people to know is the hospital is there for them,”
said former board chairman Henry Trentman. “It’s a resource for them and
it’s continually being updated for them. Our job as a community hospital is to
be responsive to community needs.”

“I can tell you when I had my car accident recently, it reinforced my understanding of thank
God it’s there when you need it,” said Krug.

Trentman also stressed the importance of quality and patient safety at CalvertHealth
Medical Center. “It’s the cornerstone of any hospital and it’s important for people to know that
it gets a lot of attention.” At present, CalvertHealth has the lowest mortality and one of the
lowest readmission rates statewide.

“I’m very proud we’ve received Accreditation with Commendation five times in a row,” said
Susan Dohony, chief quality officer. “Things evolve so quickly in health care. We are continually
looking at best practices and making changes to meet the needs of the community.”

Creating an optimal patient experience has become a major focus for CHMC. “As a result,
we’ve seen the numbers go up on our patient satisfaction surveys,” said Stewart. “They are
way higher than they’ve ever been.” The most recent quarter had CalvertHealth with the third
highest scores in Maryland based on how patients rated their stay after they went home.
Showalter emphasized the board’s commitment to ensuring that every member of the
community – across the board – has access to the same level of high quality care as everybody
else and it’s close to home.

Fowler said all of this has contributed to making the hospital a real drawing card for the
community. “I think a lot of the progress we’ve enjoyed in the county we have to credit to the
high quality of healthcare facilities we have.”

His perspective is shared by former county commissioner Hagner Mister, whose family
has lived in Calvert for seven generations. He remembers when there were only four doctors
and one dentist. “The hospital means a lot to a lot of people; especially to have one that good
right here at home. It’s a great asset to Calvert County.”

Caring People are the Heart

“It’s the caring that defines the fundamental core of
CalvertHealth Medical Center,” said Showalter, 15-year-board
member and a former nurse. “Our employees truly care about
their patients. People are treated like family.”

“Having worked in bigger city hospitals, I can tell you it’s a very different
kind of environment,” she added. “People work here because it’s where they
want to be.” The sense of teamwork and camaraderie permeates the culture
at CHMC.

“When you walk down the hall, it’s just like you’re there with your
brothers and sisters,” said Marilyn Montgomery, RN, who has 45 years
of service. “You always feel like somebody has got your back, like you
are always supported.” She is in charge of ordering all the supplies and
equipment for surgical services.

“The best part of my day,” said Karen Seekford, RN, who joined CMH
in 1988, “is being with (the Level 2 team), leading them and guiding them
in the right direction.” She was named Nurse of the Year in 2014, for her
skillful teaching, willingness to help others and dedication to providing
exceptional patient care.

At the center of it all is the patient. “Whenever I
entered a patient’s room, I kept one thing in mind, that
patient could be me or someone dear to me,” said Marine
Thomas (her badge at left), who was 18 when she
started as a nurse’s aide at the one-story hospital in 1959
making 50 cents an hour. When she retired in 1995, she
was an emergency medical technician. “I just loved it.”

Although his role in information services is
mainly behind the scenes, Wilson Hawkins said, “I
like knowing what I just implemented or fixed will
improve the care we provide.”
Hawkins, who started as a data
processing operator in 1988, is now
the Network Team Leader and is
responsible for maintaining the
hospital network infrastructure.

Tony Gross (at left) summed
it up best when he said, “My goal
is to give the kind of high-quality
service I would be pleased with if
I were on the receiving end.” He
has worked in Food and Nutrition
Services for 39 years.

Building a Healthier Tomorrow

“CalvertHealth is a reflection of what
matters most – the people of Calvert
and their well-being,” said Teague.
“To us, it is more than a name; it’s our
commitment to building a healthier
tomorrow for our community.”

At every turn, CalvertHealth is moving
forward to advance quality and improve safety
to deliver a better patient experience. The new
private rooms under construction promise
better outcomes along with better sleep. “It’s
what our community deserves,” Teague added.

Newly-elected board chairperson Terri
Wolfley added, “An important part of our fiveyear
strategic plan is the focus on population
health and developing new ways to keep our
community healthy.”

“A few years ago, we adopted a new
mission and vision that defines who we aspire
to be and what we aspire to do,” said Teague.
“At CalvertHealth, we stand for health, for care
and for doing our best every day.”